Rory Donnelly has a crack at goal as Tranmere Rovers take on Accrington Stanley

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Tranmere Rovers fans were not so much asking “Accrington Stanley, who are they?” as “Rory Donnelly, who is he?” when the striker signed last week.

But the on-loan Swansea man showed Rovers fans exactly what he can do as his brace helped the Super Whites ease to a 3-0 win against their opponents made famous by that mocking 1980s advert.

The hosts also gained revenge for a demoralising defeat earlier in the season that sparked a winless rut that they could not get out of and eventually led to Rob Edwards losing his job.

This performance was a far cry from that confidence sapping display at The Crown Ground though, as Micky Adams’ side dominated their opponents to move out of the League Two relegation zone.

Now, fans will be hoping this morale boosting victory can be another cornerstone that sees them surge up the table.

Micky Adams made four changes from the starting line up which drew with Morecambe, perhaps unsurprisingly after he branded his team “afraid of winning” following that 0-0 draw.

Two of them men who dropped out were enforced, with Marcus Holness injured whilst top scorer Max Power was ill, a major blow for the hosts.

That meant new signings Rob Taylor and Lee Molyneux coming in for their debuts, whilst Cole Stockton and Liam Ridehalgh dropped to the bench in favour of Kayode Odejayi and Rory Donnelly as the hosts switched to a 4-1-3-2 formation.

If that was not enough disruption for Tranmere, they were forced into making a substitute in the ninth minute as Jason Koumas replaced Marc Laird who was forced off after taking a knock in the face.

Rory Donnelly celebrates his second goal

All the chopping and changing did not upset Rovers though, as with their first telling attack they took the lead through Donnelly.

The 22-year old was making his first start in the Football League, and he Christened it with a goal.

Shamir Fenelon did a lot of the hard work, finding some space on the right hand side of the box before looking up and pulling the ball back towards the penalty spot.

And that was where Donnelly was prowling, as he slotted the ball past the frame of giant ‘keeper Matt Macey and into the far corner.

Owain Fon Williams was called into action immediately after the restart, Seamus McCarten shooting straight at him from 20-yards, before Donnelly skewed over the bar at the other end.

Tranmere seemed to have utter control though, finding space on either flank when they pushed forward.

And it was some great work down the left by Taylor that helped them double the lead on 23-minutes.

The full-back carried the ball 40-yards down the wing to make his way into the box and tried to pick out Odejayi at the far post.

The cross was blocked, but the ball fell straight to Fenelon, who slammed into the roof of the net from 10-yards.

It was no more than the hosts deserved and when in previous weeks they have looked nervous when ahead, they were now comfortable.

Fenelon and Donnelly each looked hungry for more, buzzing around the visitors’ backline, pressurising the defence and trying to force errors.

The former again came close minutes later, this time heading narrowly over the bar, before Odejayi audaciously nodded well wide from outside the box.

Tranmere's Kayode Odejayi under pressure from Luke Joyce

Accrington were not without their chances though.

Michael Ihiekwe gifted Sean Maguire a chance with an awful back pass, but thankfully Fon Williams was off his line quickly to block the shot, whilst Seamus Conneely found space on the left and fired just wide from 25-yards.

They could not reduce the deficit before the break though, and after half-time Tranmere sealed the three points as they made it 3-0.

Donnelly was again on target, but once more he linked up brilliantly with his teammates, playing a beautifully timed one-two with Odejayi.

The touch back to the Northern Irishman unleashed him down the left, and he brought the ball onto his right foot before guiding a low shot across the ‘keeper into the bottom corner.

Stanley could have pinched one back seconds later, but Fon Williams was quickly off his line to produce a top drawer save by blocking Kai Naismith’s header.

Naismith came close again as the game ground towards a finish, firing over from 20-yards, whilst McCarten curled another round the post.

At the other end, Danny Holmes forced a stunning save out of Macey with a drilled left footed shot that force to ‘keeper to dive low to his right before Molyneux lobbed the rebound just wide.

Then, in the dying moments, McCarten dragged a shot from outside the box against the post, but the rebound fell kindly and was cleared before Fon Williams made another sensational save from Windass’ header as Tranmere resiliently defender their clean sheet to pick up a vital three points.